Featured Image: Photo by Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash
The Eiffel Tower has reopened after six days of strike action by its staff which is thought to have cost the Paris landmark more than €1m.
Jean-François Martins, president of the Parisian attraction’s operating company SETE, made the calculation based on 100,000 visitors being shut out.
The Eiffel Tower attracts around seven million people a year, making it the seventh most visited monument in the world.
Visitors who had reserved a slot to climb the Tower will be able to reschedule for another date or they can receive a refund.
Workers went on strike after expressing concern for the state of the Tower, as they called for improved maintenance as well as a pay increase.
SETE then came to an agreement with the labour unions that represented its employees which included a total commitment of €380m (£325m/$412m) towards renovation work until 2031.
This funding would mainly be used to address vast amounts of rust on the 330m structure.
The side of the Tower adjacent to the Champ de Mars is said to be completely stripped of its primary paintwork, while improvements to the seven elevators and accessibility measures are also prioritised.
While the strike is over, salary negotiations are ongoing and are expected to conclude next month.
Employees had insisted on a raise corresponding to the revenue generated from ticket sales. SETE posted a revenue of €112.92m for 2022.
The price of entry, which currently ranges from €11.80 to €29.40 for adults, is potentially going to increase by 20% in the coming months if a change is accepted by the Paris Council in May.
The Eiffel Tower is usually accessible 365 days a year but closed again last year, this time for 10 days, as widespread protests broke out in the country against the government’s proposed increase of the retirement age.
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